Method of refrigerating liquids.



L. BIOHLER.

METHOD OF REFRIGERATING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1911.

1 ,088,5 1 8. Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

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. I be evaporated from brine such as a solution LEOPOLD IBICHLEB, or INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

METHOD OF REFRIGERATING, LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 21. 1911. Serial No. 803,990.

To all 'whom it may concern.

, Be it known that I, LEOPOLD Brennan, an apothecary, and

a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and residing at 12 Leopoldstrasse, in the city of Innsbruck, Tyrol, Empire of Austria-Hungary, new and useful Improvements in Methods of Refrigerating Liquids, of which the followhave invented ing is a specification.

This invention relates to methods of re frigeration in which the operation is carried out in the presence of a vacuum and has for its object rapidly and conveniently to refrigerate liquids and the like or to produce ice. In carrying out such a method of refrigerationit has been usual to produce the necessary cooling effect by causing water to of magnesium chlorid, such evaporation being promoted by the absorption of the water vaporby a solution of a hygroscopic substance which is subsequently concentrated to drive. off the water and employed again as absorbent. In these systems the brine such as a solution of magnesium chlorid constitutes the agent for conveying the cold to the water or other substance to be cooled.

According to-thepresent invention I dispense with this agent and employ water and a" hygroscope substance alone, the water being alternately evaporated and absorbed by the said substance to produce a cooling coolin spray g source of heat 0 isthen withdrawn from the. still'or first vessel (1 and the latter contain-v elfe'ct. v I

One form of apparatus for carrying out the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing.

According to the invention I use a hermetically closed still a consisting essentially of two inter-communicating vessels a and, 1) within which all air has been exhausted and is excluded permanently. The still proper or first vessel a- I first partially fill with. a concentrated solution of a water absorbing salt'or substance, part of which solution is passed over to the second or refrigerating vessel bi By the application of heat to the still proper or first vessel a the water contained therein is evaporated and the vapor passes into the refrigerating vessel 1) where it is condensed, the condensation being insured by cooling the refrigerating vessel by a above the vessel b. The

ing the salt residue or solution, which is now more concentrated than before is then cooled. The water in the refrigerating vessel reevaporates and thus absorbs heat from its walls, and the vapor passes. over to the still "or-first vessel a and is absorbed by the salt-- or solution contained therein, In this manner the substance surrounding the refrigeratin vessel is refrigerated, the temperature reached being below 0 Centigrade.

' By the employment of water as the evaporating medium and the continuous and permanent air elimination, it, is possible continuously to use'the apparatus without recharging.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

It will be understood that the small quantity of the solution is passed over into the second vessel for the purpose of maintain-' ingthe freezing point of the water distilled" below the temperature to which the vessel will be subjected in the second operation,

r In carrying the invention into effect water containing in solution a suitable hygroscopic salt or substance such as zinc chlorid or caustic potash preferably at or nearthe point of saturation is placed ina still" or vessel a advantageously of cylindrical form; and a small part of the water and dissolved substance or salt is passed into a second vessel 6 also advantageously of cylindrical form, which is mounted in communication with the first vessel by a central axially disposed pipe I). The cylindrical vessels thus provided are disposed in the same axial line, and are mounted on trunnions at their respective extremities so as to be capable of rotation by such or by a crank 11.

means as a beltandfpulley It will be understood thatthe vessels mayalso be provided of other suitable construction and, shape such-for example as for the production of ice in sheet form. The apparatus thus constituted is then freed from air and a rarefaction registering at least 4% millimeters mercury columnis produced. The communicating vessels are then permanently closed and the apparatus is ready for use. It will beunderst'ood that during the heating period as well as during the refrigerating period, the pressure in t e apparatus remains always below that ofthe atmosphere. Heat is then applied to the first vessel and the water contained therein is evaporated and passes over into the second or refrigerating vessel in the form of vapor, andcooling water is allowed to drip on to the second vessel while it is rotated, so'that the water vapor condenses therein. The first vessel is then dripped over it, thereby causing-the rapid absorption by the salt or solution contained' in the vessel of the water vapor on the re-evaporation of the water in the secwhich consists in maintaining a large body o nd vessel, whichre-evaporation efiects the absorption of heat from the walls thereof, by which a temperature below 0 centigrade can be maintained in the second vessel during the operation. It will however be understood that the method can be carried into efiect in any conveniently constructed apparatus and that any suitable hygroscopic substance ma be employed for the purpose stated. I

The second vessel may be constructed of any suitable form and may advantageously be provided with a removable jacket 6 with in whichin the second part of the operation ice may be formed on the exterior of the second vessel. This latter may however take any suitable form as may be required for particular purposes. It will'be understood that the said jacketmay be omitted, and the ice maybe produced on the exterior of the second vessel by conducting water-or any other substance to be refrigerated upon'it.

The apparatus constructed for the carrying out 0 this process has been shown and described in detail in the U. S. Patent No. 958,683 to OlemensWagener.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: I

An absorption refrigerating process of liquid consisting of an aqueous solution of a hygroscopic salt in a closed vessel and a smaller'body of the. same liquid in another closed communicating vessel, evaporating the greater part of the water from the first body of liquid and driving the steam into the second-named vessel and con- (lensing it by the applicationof a cooling medium to the outside ofsuch vessel, then applying a cooling medium to the outside of the first named. vessel and thus enabling the hygroscopicmedium in the first-named vessel to rapidly re-absorb Water vapor from the second-named vessel whereby the solution in said second vessel is cooled by reason of the evaporation and constantly agitating both bodies of liquid during both the distillation and absorption operations.

LEQPOLD BICHLER.

I Witnesses:

ARTHUR V. W. Coma, MATHILDE K. HEnD. 

